Chapter 3 #2
“I thought I felt…something,” Drew said. “She definitely got my attention.” He kept his eyes on me as he spoke, his weight shifted back, ready to move if he needed to.
“I’m fine,” I said, more evenly this time. I had no intention of losing control like that again.
“She’s a half-breed?” Finley asked. “I didn’t think they were allowed.”
Irritation prickled over my skin. “My dad’s aware of the situation. He’s looking into it.”
“Which part?” Jacob asked. “The half-breed part or the part where you go crazy and attack a packmate?”
I folded my arms and met his gaze, making it clear this wasn’t a joke.
“Until we hear otherwise, no one goes near her. No asking her out, no casual conversation, no trying to be friends. Nothing.” If they kept their distance, it would eliminate the problem, or at least give me time to get whatever this was under control.
“Does everyone understand?” I looked each of them in the eye, making sure they recognized it for what it was: an order.
“There’s one problem,” Adan said. “She’s my lab partner for genetics.”
I held his gaze a second longer than necessary. “You’re allowed to speak to her in that class. Only in that class.” Normally, we didn’t get involved with humans. A few of the guys bent that rule at college, keeping things casual, but it never went far. It couldn’t.
The coach walked in. “I’m not sure what you ladies are doing, but you all need to get ready. We have a game to play, and I don’t intend on losing. Let’s go.” He slapped the wall, then exited.
Knowing I needed to pull it together, I yelled at my teammates. “Greenmore is going down!”
Everyone cheered.
Now it was time to go and smash into a few guys so I could release this pent up energy. Then maybe I’d stop thinking about taking Laney to my place where I could…dammit. I needed to stop thinking about her.
Once I had my uniform on, I exited the locker room, eager to get on the field and warm up.
“Hey handsome,” Emily said, leaning against the wall in the hallway where she must have been waiting for me. She had on a short denim skirt and cowgirl boots, which made her look good.
I grabbed her arm, pulling her to me and wrapping my arms around her. I breathed in her familiar scent, washing away the irritation, rage, and jealousy I’d been feeling. “You watching the game?”
“Will you be mad if I don’t?”
I released her, noticing her makeup and curled hair. “Nah. It’s an exhibition game. You don’t need to be there.”
“Good, because I’m going out with the girls.”
I’d figured as much with the way she was dressed. She usually didn’t wear skirts.
“Where are you going?”
“Line dancing at a bar on the outskirts of town.”
I snorted. “You’re getting Marlow and Kara to go dancing?”
“No, I’m going with Sarah, Danielle, and a new girl named Laney.”
I silently cursed. All I asked was to go five minutes without hearing someone mention her name.
“I came cause I want to talk to you about her.”
“You and everyone else,” I muttered, taking her hand and leading her along the hallway to an alcove with a table and chairs. I sat on the edge of the table.
“So you know?”
“That she’s a half-breed? Yeah, I know.”
“Okay, good. Do you care if I hang out with her?”
“No.” Although it was strange Em was doing things with girls who weren’t in our pack. “Now go have some fun. Text me when you get back.”
She leaned forward and placed a kiss on my cheek. Then she looked me in the eyes.
“What?” I asked.
She fiddled with a button on her blouse. “We’ve been together for about a year now.”
I didn’t feel like having this sort of conversation right before a game.
I reached out, placing my hands on her hips to pull her between my legs.
“I guess we have.” It had been the start of my junior year when my dad told me I was going to marry Em after graduation.
That being the case, we started dating. We’d been friends all our lives, but I’d never looked at her in any other way, so I’d figured I’d better start.
She licked her lips. “Do you…” She smelled nervous and unsure, two things she rarely was.
I always appreciated her confidence, especially around others, so this was my first clue I wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “Do I what?”
“Don’t get mad.” She slid her hands on either side of my face, maintaining eye contact.
“I won’t get mad.” Although the unease I felt was giving way to anger. “Just tell me. I need to get going.”
“I just thought it’d feel different.”
“What would?” I had no idea what she was talking about.
“This.” She tightened her grip on me. “Us.”
If she’d brought up this conversation before I’d met Laney, I’d be totally confused.
Now that I’d encountered Laney, I knew what strong feelings were.
I forced myself to look into her eyes. “Are you mad about something?” Because she seemed upset.
Like I was supposed to be a mind reader and know.
Maybe she’d heard about me obsessing over Laney.
I’d have to try to explain that one, and I didn’t see it going well.
“Never mind.” She started to leave.
“No.” I gripped her wrists, pulling them in front of me. “If you don’t talk to me, I can’t fix it.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I thought there’d be more of a spark between us.”
Again, pre Laney, I wouldn’t have gotten it.
Having met Laney, I knew what Em meant. “We’re friends,” I said.
“That’s the basis for a solid relationship.
” The words were automatic since I’d heard them so many times from my dad.
He was intent on a union between Em and me since she came from a powerful family.
While I might not be in love with her, I knew enough about pack politics to understand that this wasn’t really a choice.
It sucked being told what to do, but it was just the way things were.
Em and I would marry after we graduated.
Then, once my dad stepped aside in a few years, we’d take over the pack.
I had a duty to keep everyone safe and hidden from the human world.
And we needed to make sure our bloodlines stayed strong and pure.
By marrying Em, it would ensure we had a strong alpha child to take over one day.
“That’s what my mom keeps telling me,” Emily mumbled. “I just assumed that when I chose a mate, it would forge a deeper connection between us.”
“I think that’s the way it is for some mates.” The ones who were together for love, not an alliance.
“And you’re…okay with this?” she asked, her voice filled with doubt.
“If you’re referring to us, yeah, I’m okay with it. It’s what’s expected of me.” I’m an alpha and knew what my responsibilities were from early on.
Her face reddened as she abruptly stepped back, away from me. “Thank you for answering my questions.” She turned to go.
I grabbed her arm again. “Don’t get all mad at me.
You’re the one who wanted to talk. If you didn’t want the truth, then you shouldn’t have asked.
” Now was definitely not the time to tell her about my reaction to Laney.
It didn’t matter anyway. Em was the one I was supposed to be with.
I just needed to keep reminding myself of that.
“I’m sorry. You’re right.” She folded her arms and faced me. “I just need some space and a break from the pack.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’re going out with some girls who aren’t from the pack.” Even if one of them was Laney.
She nodded.
“We’ll figure it out,” I assured her. “I promise.”
She nodded again.
“Text me when you get back. I’ll come over, and we can hang out.” I stood and moved closer to her, kissing her cheek. Despite doing this a thousand times, it felt off. Like kissing a sibling instead of a girlfriend.
I inhaled her scent, wanting familiarity and comfort. Instead, it smelled wrong, which only reminded me of Laney, who smelled like a fucking dream. Damn. I’d almost made it five minutes.
Emily looked at me, her brows drawn together. “Are you okay? You seem…off.”
“It’s been a long-ass day, and I still have a game to play.”
“Then you should blow off some steam. Good luck with the game.” She turned and left without bothering to wave or kiss me goodbye. I wondered if it had always been like this and I was just now noticing it.
Danny came out of the locker room, slapping me on the back. “Sounds like you’re turning into a girl with all the drama I’m hearing about.”
I smacked his arm. “I’m not in the mood.”
“Clearly. I hear you’re drooling over a fine piece of ass. And that ass isn’t that one.” He pointed after Emily. “That’s a dangerous line.”
I knew that. I rubbed the back of my neck.
Danny and I had been friends since before either of us could walk or shift.
Since his dad, Gareth, was my dad’s beta, Danny was my designated second-in-charge.
As my right-hand man, it was his job to call out my bullshit.
Out of all the guys in our pack, he was the only one who really knew me and who I told stuff to. “Have you met her?” I asked him.
“The infamous Laney everyone’s talking about? No, though I want to.” He grinned, his eyes alight and almost challenging. The guys must have told him about what I did to Adan.
I swallowed and started walking along the hallway. “Let’s get out on the field before Coach flips.” When we exited the building, I lowered my voice. “There’s something about Laney.”
We jogged onto the field where some of the other players were already stretching.
“What do you mean?” Danny asked. “Is this about her being a half-breed?”
I had no idea how to explain what happened when I was around her. Even thinking about her made my pulse pick up.
“Oh,” Danny said, his eyes widening with surprise.
He could probably scent the shift in me. And if he could, everyone else would, too. It wasn’t something I could hide, which meant this was about to become a problem.
“So you’re into her?” Danny asked. “I thought everyone was just joking.”
I exhaled sharply. “All I know is when I’m near her, something’s off. My control slips.” I rubbed my jaw. “And yeah, I want her. More than I should.”
“But Laney is a half-breed. How is it possible for her to affect you like that?”
Good question. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “Maybe it’s some kind of instinct kicking in. Something…misfiring.” The explanation sounded weak even to me, but it was the only one I had.
“I’m not buying that,” Danny said. “Maybe she’s just hot, and you need to fuck her to get it out of your system.”
I’d considered that. “I’m with Em.” And I couldn’t do that to her.
“Do you even love Em? I get the feeling you don’t.”
I was doing a terrible job of hiding my emotions. I’d have to fix that. “I love Em. I’m just not in love with her. If that makes any sense.” Saying it out loud made me feel like an asshole, but it was the truth.
“Have you tried talking to your dad about it?”
I looked pointedly at Danny. His stupid question didn’t deserve an answer.
“Sorry.” He scratched behind his ear. “Well, how about you arrange for me to meet Laney? I’ll tell you what I think once I talk to her.”
“Do you want me there when this happens?” That could be dangerous, given how I reacted around her and how I perceived others moving in on my territory when they talked about her, let alone to her.
“I’d like to meet her on my own first, then have you there after for a few minutes. That way I can get a sense of her with and without you. Does she react the same way?”
The thought of her being as drawn to me as I was to her put a smile on my face, but the thought of introducing her to Danny soured that mood.
“Wait, are you jealous?” Danny asked, his incredulous voice bordering on laughing.
“No,” I snapped.
“I’ve never seen you like this over a girl.”
That was because Laney wasn’t just any girl.
The coach blew his whistle, getting our attention.
“Let’s just focus on the game.” I needed to forget about Laney Lake for a few minutes.
If anything could take my mind off her, this was it.
Besides shifting, playing was the only time I could release my excess energy.
And I loved rugby. I’d tried football, but it had been too controlled for my liking.
Being out here on the field with my friends and letting loose was a close second to shifting.
“Sounds like a plan,” Danny said. “Time to kick some ass.”